Improvement in grates



, s. KEPN ER.

- Grate. No, 159,271, Patented Feb.2,1875.

\A/iT N55555: INVENTEIFL.

. THE GRAPHIC CDJHOTOLITNSQS- I PARK PLACEJLY.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrroa SOLOMON KEPNER, OF POTTSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA,ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF HIS RIGHT TO J. B. PARKER, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 159,271, dated February2,1875; application filed January 11,1875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SoLoMoN KEPNER, ofPottstown, in the county of Montgomery, and in the State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStove- Grates and do hereby declare that the followin g is a full,clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to an improvement in grates; and it consists in thearrangement and combination of parts, which will be more fully describedhereafter, whereby a double grate is formed.

Figure l is a plan view of my invention. Fig. 2 is an end View of thesame.

a represents an ordinary grate for open-front stoves; but my inventionis intended for baseburners, and all other forms of stoves equally aswell. Every other one of the bars 0 of this grate across the bottom areremoved from the points 01 to the rear edge e, and their places suppliedby the short swinging bars g. These bars g are formed upon the top ofthe pivot-rod e, which is held suspended in the bearings l at each endof the grate, below the bottoms of the bars 0. As the bars g are formedupon the top of this rod,when the rod is turned around they sweepthrough a large circle around the axis, instead of in the same one. Whenthe short bars 9 are turned so that their tops are on a level with thebars 0, an ordinary grate is formed, but with the advantage of admittingmore air to the fire at those points where the bars are too short totouch the balance of the grate. In this position, by partly turning red'i these short bars are used to shake out the ashes and cinders. The rod2' and bars 9 are all removable. By

- turning the rod one-half way around, the bars g sweep through half acircle, and assume the position shown in Fig. 2, below the level of thebars 0. In this position a double grate is formed, one above the other.The upper one supports the mass or body of the coals, while the lowerone supports the bottom part, leaving openings large enough for a hookto be inserted, and all the clinkers and pieces of slate to be drawnfreely out, besides admittin far larger quantities of air to the firethan can be done in any other way. While in this sus pended position, bypartly rotating the pivotrod, the bars 9 can be partially turned around,as seen in dotted lines, and thus thoroughly shake down the fire andclean the grate.

Heretofore short bars, on the same plane with their axis, have been usedto shake down the fire and clean the grate, but they will not form adouble grate, nor permit the elinkers to be cleaned out withoutdisturbing the fire, or admit more air. But their greatest trouble anddefect is, that when cinders or clinker-s get between their ends and thegrate, it is almostimpossible to remove them without cleaning out thewhole stove. With my invention this cannot occur.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination of agrate with the swinging bars 9, the bars being adapted to be droppedbelow the level of the grate, where by a supplemental grate is formed,substantially as set forth.

2. The bars 9, formed upon the top of the rod 2', in combination with agrate, the rod being pivoted below the level of the bars 0, whereby thebars 9 are adapted to be used as a shaking device, and to form a doubleor supplemental grate below the bars 0, substantially as shown anddescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this2d (lay of January, 1875.

SOLOMON KEPNER.

Witnesses:

E. W. KEPNER, D. F. BEINERT.

